Hat support



june 1948 G. EcoNoMAKls 2,442,723

HAT SUPPORT Filed Jan. 28, 1947 George P'Eclwnzalcs.

Patented June l, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE HAT SUPI'QRQI` GeorgeP. Economakis, Asbury Park, N. J.

Application January 28, 1947,` Serial No. 724,738

1 claim. 1

This invention is directed to an improved hat frame to retain the shapeof a hat and to serve as a protector, designed particularly for menshats. The frame or support is placed in a hat to preserve its shapeeither when the hat is in use or on a hat rack or other support.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a frame or support ofskeleton form, formed to engage the inner surface of the crown of a hat,and capable of being shaped to agree with that of the crown and maintainthe same in the normal wearing form, together with members carried bythe shaping band in spaced relation to be placed between the hat bandand hat proper, to also maintain the shape of the band while the hat isin use or on a rack.

A further object of the invention is to provide a frame adjustable toaccommodate the same to different size hats.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a hat frame orsupport in which the band portion may be deformed circumferentially topermit it to be arranged in form to accommodate different bent forms ofthe crown to permit the frame or support to be temporarily orpermanently shaped for such irregularities in a hat, in

order to form a complete forming support for the.

particular hat.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective View of the improved hat guard andsupport;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken longitudinally through a hathaving the device inserted therein;

Figure 3 is a front perspective View showing the structure distorted toaccommodate the shape of a deformed hat; and

Figure 4 is a detail of a slight modification.

The improved flexible hat frame and support includes a band I ofappropriate material capable of being bent into a more or less circularform of sufficient width to contact with the interior of the crown 2 ofa hat, to cooperate with the crown in supporting relation.

Depending from the band I are strips 3 formed at their lower ends inparallelism with the band I to be inserted .beneath the hat band 4, andof suicient width to maintain the hat band in proper relation to thecrown when the frame is in place. The ends of the band I are preferablyformed so that in their connection to engage the crown of the hat theymay be adjustable, and secured by a clip 5 to regulate thecircumferential length of the band I to cooperate with crowns 2 of hatsof different sizes.

` Figs. 1-3, that the frame preferably comprises three of the strips orlegs 3 and that one of these legs is positioned centrally of the frontof the frame so that it fits within the front of the crown 2 between theusual crimps or depressions 6 in the sides of the crown. Thus, the bandI, being flexible, and being positioned with its plane substantiallyvertical within the crown, follows the contours of the crown and lieswithin the folds between the top and sides of the crown, while the frontleg 3 lies against the front wall of the crown between the depressionsin the sides of the crown. Therefore, the band I and front leg 3 provideresiliency to the folds in the crown and prevent the pinching of thefolds or crushing of the crown while the rearward legs support the rearsides of the crown.

In some instances, it may be desirable to retain the band I in adefinite, predetermined crimped formation, in which event clips 1 may beemployed as shown in Fig. 3. These clips are curved to hold the band incrimped form in the hat crown to maintain the band I, at appropriatepoints, in a shape to agree with such crimps and thus support the crownthroughout the formation of the crimps therein. 'Ihis arrangementmaintains the shape of the hat whether the hat is being worn or when notin use. When forming the improved hat frame to provide for adjustabilityand also to conform to the formed crimps 6 in the crown of the hat, itis of advantage to provide the divisions in the band within the lengthin which the crimp-conforming section or sections are provided. Theholding clips 5 will then maintain the crimp-conforming portion inselected lengths and by removal of the clips the crimp-conformingsections may be adjusted both as to length and as to crimp conformationwhile at the same time adjusting the length of the band.

A hat frame thus formed is preferably formed of at material, but asstated, may be of flexible material to be bent into full contact withthe interior of the hat, irrespective of its shape. Thus a frame isprovided to maintain the hat in proper shape and form whether the hat ison a rack or is being worn.

The improvement may be readily and conveniently formed by stamping andprovides a simple and economical adjunct for the hat to maintain 3 thesame in substantially rigid wearing form and prevent the hat from beingcrushed or pinched by the frequent handling to which it is subjected.

In lieu of the frame being formed of ilat, flexible or inexiblematerial, it may be formed of round stock l0, as shown in Fig. 4. Oneend of the ring l is formed with a socket ll While the opposite end isreduced at l2 to frictionally t in the opening I I to provide means foradjusting the ring.

I claim:

A supporting device for soft hats, which device comprises asubstantially straight at strip having three relatively spaced legsextending from one edge thereof and feet extending perpendicularly onboth sides of the free ends of said legs,

said strip, legs and feet being cut from a sheet of flexible material,said strip being bent to form an oval band with its ends overlapping,means securing said overlapping ends together so that they follow thecontour of said oval band, said feet being adapted to be placed withinthe sweatband of a hat and being of a length to rigidly brace said legsto support said oval band in the crown of the hat so that the plane ofthe band forming strip is substantially vertical, the Ilexibility ofsaid strip being suiiicient to permit it to follow the contours of thehat crown when the latter is formed in desirable formation but will 4resist pinching of the folds of the crown when in such formation, one ofsaid legs being located centrally of the front of the band forpositioning against the front of the crown between'the depressions inthe side of the crown to prevent pinching of the front of the crown, theother two legs being positioned rearwardly on the sides of the band forpositioning against the rear portions of the sides of the crown tosupport the rear portions of the crown and prevent inadvertent crushingthereof.

GEORGE P. ECONOMAKIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Aug. 2,1917 Great Britain May 10, 1923 Number Number

